The comments were subsequently broadcast on Brand's Radio 2 show, which airs from 9pm.

"I do think the prevalence of bad language such as the F-word is a little bit unrestrained," Grade told a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today.

"I am not calling for it to be banned but I don't think we take enough care over the use of the F-word and similar words," he said.

"It used to be that you had to get very senior sign-off to use that word in any show. I am not sure what the rules are these days. Clearly not enough consideration is given to a very large section of the audience who don't want to hear that word or such words.

"You have to know where you are using it and give it some extra consideration. It seems to be indiscriminate now."

The ITV executive chairman told journalists today he was "trying very hard not to sound like an old so and so", but said it was something he felt strongly about.

However, Grade refused to name any individual programmes he felt had gone too far with swearing.

"We need to show a little bit more thoughtfulness about how we use these words," he said.

Grade added that he had not yet discussed the issue with the ITV director of television, Peter Fincham, but said he would.

"I think we probably will have a conversation at some point. Peter is a man of very good sense and immense trust and exercises good judgment," he added.

Grade, a former chairman of the BBC, backed the corporation's handling of the Sachsgate row, which saw Brand and Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas resign and Ross suspended for 12 weeks without pay.

"I have no doubt they got it right. I have never seen the BBC act so quickly," he said.

Grade added he thought the corporation had initially been slow in putting up a spokesman but that the processes put in place by the BBC Trust had worked.

"Having the sovereign body of the trust inside the organisation which was able to send for the director general and ensure the right action was taken showed the structure of the trust works very well," said Grade, who oversaw the trust replacing the board of governors as the BBC's regulatory body before leaving in late 2006.

He said he agreed with the BBC director general, Mark Thompson ,when he said that the Brand and Ross issue was "not a marginal case".

"They had strayed beyond what was acceptable. They strayed into territory that was pretty horrible and indefensible in any terms," Grade added.

When asked if ITV would be interested in hiring either Brand or Ross following the row, he added: "It doesn't change the talent. Whether you would put them on live is another matter."

Ross was due to present ITV1's live British Comedy Awards in December, but pulled out following the row.

"Peter Fincham talked to Jonathan and his agent and between them they agreed it was the right thing to do," Grade said.

"The awards are about celebrating other people's achievements but the story would have been about Jonathan and would have distorted it."

When asked if he thought Ross and Brand had now damaged themselves, Grade - a former agent himself - said: "All talent develop their longevity on the support of the British public. If the public is for them, they will do well."

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